Peer-reviewed article
Sports-related factors and stunting in children under 5 years old: a cross-sectional study across 471 counties in 31 provincial regions of China.
Pan X, Zhao D, Zhang Y, Gao Y, Chen X et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined the relationship between sports and physical activity with stunting in over 5,000 children under 5 across China. Boys had higher stunting rates than girls, and regional differences were significant, with Northwest China showing higher stunting prevalence. Children who engaged in more physical activity, whose families spent more on sports, and who participated consistently in sports for over 3 months had lower stunting rates. The researchers recommend increasing family investment in sports and encouraging regular physical activity to reduce stunting risk.
Key points
- Boys had 53.9% higher odds of stunting compared to girls (OR = 1.539)
- Children in East China had significantly lower stunting odds than those in Northwest China (OR = 0.566)
- Increased family sports-related spending was associated with 27% lower odds of stunting (OR = 0.730)
- Children exercising less than 15 minutes daily had higher stunting odds than those exercising over 60 minutes daily (OR = 1.413)
- Long-term sports participation (over 3 months) significantly reduced stunting risk compared to participation under 1 month (OR = 1.432)
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study, so it cannot establish causation, only associations between sports-related factors and stunting. The study does not measure dietary factors or other known determinants of stunting such as breastfeeding practices or infection rates, which limits understanding of the full picture of stunting etiology.
Abstract
Globally, approximately 148.1 million children are affected by stunting, significantly threatening their health and cognitive development. This nationwide cross-sectional study uniquely focused on sports-related factors, including family sports-related spending, duration of physical activity, and consistent participation in sports. Using data involving 5,017 children under 5 years old from 471 counties across 31 provinces in China, significant socioeconomic, regional, and behavioral correlates of stunting were identified. Stunting prevalence differed notably by gender and geographical division, with boys having significantly higher odds of stunting compared to girls (OR = 1.539; 95% CI: 1.238-1.913; p < 0.001), and children in East China having significantly lower odds compared to those in Northwest China (OR = 0.566; 95% CI: 0.398-0.804; p = 0.002). Non-enrolled children exhibited significantly increased odds of stunting (OR = 2.266; 95% CI: 1.360-3.775; p = 0.002). Increased sports-related family spending was associated with lower odds of child stunting (OR = 0.730; 95% CI: 0.580-0.919; p = 0.007). Furthermore, children with insufficient daily physical activity (0-15 min/day) were more likely to experience stunting compared to those exercising over 60 min per day (OR = 1.413; 95% CI: 1.030-1.937; p = 0.032). Long-term consistent participation in sports (participation duration over 3 months) significantly reduced stunting risk (< 1 month vs. >3 months, OR = 1.432; 95%CI: 1.023-2.006, p= 0.036). Screen time and sleep duration showed no significant associations with childhood stunting in this study (p > 0.05). Thus, we recommend increasing family sports-related investments and encouraging regular and long-term participation in physical activities, especially targeting low-income families, to support child growth and reduce the risk of stunting.